Surrogate Problems Continued: How to Make a Bad Situation Worse

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Mrs. Ferraro, I respect the role you played in American history, but you are most definitely on the list of people from both campaigns that just need to stop talking.

After saying that Obama is only a hair’s breadth from the Democratic nomination because he’s black, Ferraro had this to say about her critics:

“Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let’s address reality and the problems we’re facing in this world, you’re accused of being racist, so you have to shut up,” Ferraro said. “Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?”

Then she kept it going on Fox News:

Enough, enough! Go raise as much money as you possibly can for Hillary Clinton. Go campaign in some corner of Pennsylvania. But stop turning what should be a national debate over two strong candidates both looking to make history into an unhinged essentialist pissing match over whether racism or sexism is worse!

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And the essential ingredient that makes all this possible? Readers like you.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to devote the time and resources to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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